Common system architecture of wireless communication devices (e.g. cellular devices such as cell phone, a wireless router, relay, bridge etc.) includes a number of functional layers (referred herein also as “layers”) connected in series in a predefined order and operable for enabling incoming and outgoing communication of data with the devices. The wireless communication device can be operable to communicate in accordance to any one or more communication protocols including for example, 2G, 3G, 4G, WiF, WiMax, BlueTooth, and NFC. Each functional layer comprises of one or more layer elements (referred herein also as “element”) which are used for processing and transmission of different types of data signals. Data is transferred from one end to the other end of the sequence of functional layers (and vice versa) while the functional elements, in each layer, operate in a cascade of processing steps where each layer transfers the data into a form suitable to be utilized by an adjacent layer (or to be transmitted from the device).
The functional layers commonly include an RF front-end layer, a modem layer, an application processor layer and appliances layer. RF front-ends are configured in general, for receiving data signals and their initial processing, and for performing the final processing and transmission of outgoing data signals. Different RF front-end layer elements are configured for dealing with different types of data signals. For example a cellular device may employ a first RF front-end element for receiving and transmitting second generation (2G) cellular communicant data-signals and a second RF front-end element for receiving and transmitting third generation (3G) cellular communication data-signals. A modem element is configured for processing incoming and outgoing data signals (e.g. modulating and demodulating) and communicating data from the RF front-end element to an application processor element and vice versa. Like the RF front end-units different modems can also be configured to process different types of data-signals, depending for example, on the type of communication protocol of the transmitted data. Modems are connected to an application processor configured for processing information received from the modem and transferring it in a desired form to an appropriate appliance (such as keyboard, display, microphone, speaker, etc) in the appliance layer, and also for receiving data from the appliance layer to be processed and transferred in the other direction.
Attention is drawn to FIG. 1 illustrating schematically a prior art mobile telephone system architecture 100. As shown the system 100 includes two RF end-units 101 and 102 and associated modems 103 and 104 both coupled to application processor 105, which is in turn coupled to plurality appliances. Depending on various criteria, such as the appliance selected by the user and the required communication constraints (e.g. 3G or 2G communication standards) the application processor 105 communicates with the appropriate modem and the appropriate appliance.
Prior art references considered to be relevant as background to the invention are listed below. Acknowledgement of the references herein is not to be inferred as meaning that these are in any way relevant to the patentability of the invention disclosed herein.
The use of more than one application processor has been previously described in the art. For example, US Patent Application No. 20080072014 discloses a mobile computing device with multiple modes, for example, wireless communication and personal computing, has an application processor and a communication processor. In the computing mode, the application processor is the master processor. In the communication mode, the application processor is de-energized to conserve battery power, with the communication processor functioning as the master processor by accessing the device's peripheral bus using the memory interface of the communication processor.
However, there is a need in the art for a new wireless device architecture and apparatus which is characterized by greater flexibility and enables to enhance the speed, efficiency and sensitivity of a wireless device operation.